The use of a removable appliance to retract a maxillary canine tooth into a first premolar extraction space is one of the most commonly performed orthodontic procedures. However, unwanted movements may occur, including excessive tipping, rotation, and flaring of the tooth. The present investigation by the use of a finite element model quantifies some of the initial stresses produced within the periodontal ligament when two obliquely directed forces are applied to a maxillary canine tooth. In simulating the action of a removable appliance it attempts to relate the stress patterns to the nature of the subsequent tooth movement.